Unveiling the Heartbreaking Story Behind the Streaming Giant's Death by Lightning

For generations, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a television production titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law